Asda launches Kids Eat for £1 initiative to help parents keep children fed over the summer holidays

Supermarket giant Asda (opens in new tab) is launching a new Kids Eat for £1 initiative to help parents cope with the cost of living crisis over the summer holidays. 

Families will have seen food prices going up (opens in new tab), alongside rising energy bills and fuel prices, as the cost of living crisis really takes hold. While switching to the cheapest supermarket (opens in new tab) and using your supermarket loyalty card (opens in new tab) can help to save money on food (opens in new tab), many parents will be worried about how to keep their kids fed and entertained over the six-week break. 

To help families through, Asda has revealed its Kids Eat for £1 deal which will be available throughout the summer holidays. As part of the initiative, children under 16 will be able to get a hot or cold meal for just £1 in Asda cafes across the country. The offer will be available seven days a week with no minimum adult spend required.

An Asda spokesperson said: “We know that families can find the summer holidays tough and our customers are telling us that this year more than ever, they’re concerned about holiday hunger. With that in mind, we are so pleased to be able to offer children’s meals for just £1, with no minimum adult spend, to ensure that those who would normally rely on a school meal aren’t left without.”

The Kids Eat for £1 initiative is already available in Scotland and will be rolled out in England and Wales from 25 July 2022. It will run until 4 September 2022. 

Those with younger children won’t be left out either - the supermarket is offering a free 70g pouch of Ella’s Kitchen baby food to little ones during the school holidays too.

Helping parents with costs over school holidays

Asda's new scheme will be a relief for many families struggling with rising costs and feeling daunted by the prospect of additional costs over the school holidays. But more relief is on the way for many. 

More than eight million low-income households will receive the first of two cost-of living payments (totalling £650) (opens in new tab) from 14 July as part of the Government’s cost of living support package (opens in new tab). 

If you haven’t yet received your £150 council tax rebate (opens in new tab) (available to those in council tax bands A-D), then that could be with you imminently. Check out your local council’s website for details of when you can expect your rebate, or for further information on what to do if you haven’t yet received it. 

You might also find that from July you have some more money in your pay packet thanks to a change in the National Insurance threshold (opens in new tab) - for some people, this means that April’s National Insurance increase is effectively cancelled out. 

On top of this, it's always time well spent to see if you are paying more than you need to for your household bills. When it comes to mobile phones and broadband, as well as car or home insurance, it’s always worth using a price comparison site like GoCompare (opens in new tab) to see if you could switch to a cheaper deal. Similarly, you may be paying more in council tax than you need to, so it’s worth understanding how council tax is calculated (opens in new tab) and if you are eligible for any discounts or reductions.